Archives for June 2018

The 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback offers a sporty design and top tech features.

When you have the world’s best-selling model and the market is shifting away from cars to crossovers, you have a bit of a dilemma on your hands. On the one hand, you can acknowledge the shift and reduce your investment in a new model, thereby effectively furthering its decline. On the other hand, you can always roll the dice and come up with a new plan to woo customers.

Fortunately, Toyota chose the latter, at least for the all all-new hatchback version of the compact Corolla. The 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback replaces the Corolla iM, a holdover model from the defunct Scion brand. The new model offers the sportiest design we have ever witnessed on a Corolla, which suggests that the new sedan bound to follow will receive a similar treatment.

Essentially, that makes for two trims along with your choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable automatic transmission. All models come with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

New Platform, New Possibilities

The 2019 Corolla Hatchback sits on an all-new platform, described internally as the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA). We saw the first application of this architecture beginning with the fully redesigned 2016 Prius, Toyota’s hybrid.

Toyota followed with the midsize 2018 Camry sedan and the large 2019 Avalon sedan. Toyota’s utility vehicles and all Lexus models are undergoing a similar transformation.

The platform is designed to support front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Although Toyota has not said as much, various new all-wheel-drive models seem likely.

You can bet that Toyota is watching what Ford does as it exits most car segments — add a turbo and all-wheel drive and then a Corolla “RS” hatchback model seems logical.

A Matter of Style: Sharp Design

Never have we seen a more sculpted Corolla since this model was introduced in 1966. Toyota has long advanced a winning formula with its best-seller: a simple exterior, a modest interior, average power (at best) and unparalleled reliability.

Quite frankly, it is an approach that has successfully carried the Corolla ideology for decades, but now there is a need for a transformation.

The new design is so noticeably different that when I asked people what they thought it was, quite a few did not immediately recognize it as a Toyota.

Indeed, two thought that the new vehicle was a Mazda3, one of the most stylish models in the segment. That is how detached this hatchback is from the Corolla sedan as well as how much effort Toyota put into the new design.

The sportiness is evident up front with this model’s massive, gaping lower grille and sleek, constricted upper grille. The upper portion flows out to the headlights, which offer a vibrant design marked by pronounced LED lights. The hood eases down to the grille, taking styling cues from what we hope will someday be the next Supra sports car.

This model’s profile has its share of character and cut lines. The rising beltline pulls up suddenly at the rear door handles just where another set of character lines begin and sweep to the rear.

A wing-like rear spoiler is one of the biggest surprises — it is neither small-scale nor is it overpowering. Sleek wraparound tail lamps, deep body sculpting and a diffuser-like finisher influence the rear.

Make Room for Everyone

On paper, the Corolla hatchback seats five. If your rear-seated passengers are diminutive or slender, then five is a possibility. Even so, this Corolla is ideal for seating four.

Just as Toyota devoted much attention to the exterior, the cabin is a significant improvement as well. Of course, my test model was the upper trim XSE with the automatic, but the conventional style is the same. The layered dashboard simply looks exceptional. For instance, the instrument panel hood is situated near to the surface. Then, as your eyes scan from left to right, you cannot help noticing how well everything progresses. Further, even something as simple as the split dashboard design imparts a level of elegance to cherish.

The front seats are comfortable and generally better than what you would expect in this segment. The rear 60/40 split fold-down bench seat supplies storage options as needed. Big pockets in the doors and a cleanly laid out center console are other important features. Yes, you are observing leather covering the seat or, rather, leather with a mélange-like fabric on the XSE.

Safety and Technology

You do not have to go back too many years to find cars that were sparsely equipped with tech and safety equipment.

In the late 2000s, a four-speaker audio system with a CD player was commonplace. Bluetooth was just getting started and USB ports were still a few years away. Satellite radio was also not yet available.

Fast forward to today and most cars have at least six speakers as does the 2019 Corolla hatchback. And that is just on the base model. Toyota also includes an 8-inch color touchscreen, Wi-Fi Connect, USB and auxiliary audio ports and for the first time: Apple CarPlay. Sorry, no Android Auto yet. Toyota also includes its Entune 3.0 connectivity suite, Siri Eyes Free and Amazon Alexa.

Upgrades include HD Radio, weather and traffic reports, connected services and an eight-speaker JBL audio system. Thus, the key features once limited to luxury models are now available with the mainstream Corolla.

Among safety items, you will find the latest version of the Toyota Safety Sense suite, dubbed 2.0. Specifically, you will discover as standard equipment, automatic high beams, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, full-speed-range dynamic radar cruise control. and a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection.

Notably, lane tracing assist is something new to Toyota, what keeps this hatchback centered in its lane when radar cruise control is on. It is doubtful you will find as comprehensive of a system as the one presented in this new Corolla.

Let’s Make it a Drive!

My Corolla hatchback test model arrived just two months removed from my California trip where I tested the new model (and the 2019 Avalon). Toyota supplied manual and CVT versions of this model — so kudos to this automaker for offering standard three-pedal foot action with both trims.

Alas, the relatively smooth-shifting manual version was not my weekly driver, but the CVT should please the majority of people. And if you do have a hankering for shifting, you can place the transmission in sport mode and play with the paddle shifters. Those shifters mimic 10 forward gears.

The Corolla’s engine is matched well with this model, delivering 168 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. No, it is not particularly fast — it offers steady step-off acceleration and ample passing power. However, Toyota did gear this powertrain for optimum fuel economy — it delivers an excellent 42 mpg on the highway.

The steering offers satisfactory feedback. But the most enjoyment takes place on twisty roads where this model does a satisfactory job of hanging the curves.

Size certainly makes a difference with any front-wheel-drive model and the new Corolla holds its own as it pulls out of corners.

That said, here is hoping Toyota will go beyond the base model and offer us more powerful versions. Perhaps add a turbo to give us something close to the 252 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque with the Focus ST?

Then use that as a prelude to a Focus RS fighter with all-wheel drive and 350 horsepower at the ready! One can imagine, right?

Parting Thoughts: 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Once again, Toyota brings the appropriate product to the market.

Back around 2010, Chairman Akio Toyoda promised us that more exciting models were on the way, acknowledging that although vanilla is a dependable flavor, it does little to stir the imagination. The Corolla hatchback is the latest model to keep that pledge and we are happy to see the direction the brand has taken.

Beyond the sporty design and refined interior, the long list of standard driver-assist features makes this model a strong entrant in the shrinking, but still very competitive small car segment. Toyota’s advantage in having the newest model on the block should also serve itself well, especially as competitors leave the segment or slow their updates.

Thus, if you put this one on your short list, you will quickly learn what a strong contestant it is straight out of the gate.

The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake is a midsize luxury wagon, a model that joins the existing XF sedan. Jaguar’s new model blends the best of a sedan with a crossover, giving customers a fresh choice in the luxury sphere. The XF Sportbrake’s fetching design may make you rethink everything you had thought wagons represented. If it does, then that is a good thing.

Wagons are not new to Europe, which has long embraced them. Once popular in the U.S., wagons were largely dropped from vehicle lineups in favor of minivans. Down through the years, we have seen such models as the Dodge Magnum and Cadillac CTS sport wagon appear briefly, then disappear. Most recently, this writer reviewed the Buick Regal TourX, the first wagon for the Buick brand in decades.

But Jaguar occupies the top-tier of the market and that is where the new XF Sportbrake competes. Yet, it does not occupy the segment alone as Volvo offers two models: the V60 and V90. You will also find the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class with wagon variants. In the mainstream sphere, the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen also holds sway.

If you are shopping for a midsize luxury wagon, then the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and either Volvo model are Jaguar’s logical competitors.

2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake Overview

Typically, Jaguar offers multiple trim levels and powertrain choices with its vehicles. You will find a wide range of models, ranging from standard to top-end luxury.

The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake offers a clean departure from that approach. Here, there is only one trim level, plus a limited-edition First Edition model. Jaguar must know that wagons have limited appeal in the states, so instead of offering a wide range, this British automaker elected to go with one that is likely to deliver maximum appeal.

So, your choice for 2018 is the XF Sportbrake S ($70,450) or the XF Sportbrake First Edition ($72,100). Add $995 for your destination charge. This wagon seats five, has standard all-wheel drive, a supercharged V6 engine and an automatic transmission.

A Matter of Style

A quick scan of the XF Sportbrake reveals an interesting combination of expected and surprising features. From the front fascia to the edge of the windshield, the look is all XF sedan. From the canted windshield and stretching all the way to the back, the design features a fresh take all its own.

And that extended look features a long, sweeping roofline, which tapers from the B-pillar to the rear, ending in a liftgate that juts out and down. The spoiler adds a fitting separation between the roof and the rear. An even beltline, pretty character lines, subdued body sculpting and just the right amount of ornamentation add flair. The 20-inch sport wheels with red brake caliper covers serve as eye candy. At the rear, the requisite polished chrome dual exhaust tips complete the experience.

Lovely, Quiet Interior

Inside, the cabin offers the beauty, fit, finish and layout you expect with Jaguar. The interior is dressed in leather with twin-stitching running across the dashboard, the door handles and along the edges of the seats and headrests. Aluminum controls and carbon fiber touches add visual interest. Jaguar models typically make use of smart color combinations and my test model offered a rich example of this with Oyster and Ebony the chosen colors.

Jaguar supplies a thickly padded steering wheel, a digital dashboard and a cleanly laid out center console. Turn the XF Sportbrake on and the transmission dial emerges. Behind the dial is a place to park your smartphone. Ahead of the dial is two cup holders and a small storage compartment. All four doors have storage pockets as well.

Seating is for five and all five will fit just fine. Storage space behind the second-row seat measures 31.7 cubic feet. Fold the seat and you have nearly 70 cubic feet to play with. Yes, that space is longer and shallower than your typical crossover, but it offers usable space that should intrigue anyone who might otherwise prefer a crossover.

Safety & Technology Highlights

Because the XF Sportbrake comes in one well-equipped trim, you will find the expected driver-assist features bundled in one package ($3,495). You get blind spot detection with reverse traffic detection, adaptive cruise control with queue assist, and park assist with a surround view camera.

Jaguar supplies this model with an eight-inch capacitive touch-screen. There is a Meridian audio system along with satellite radio, USB and auxiliary audio input, Bluetooth and a navigation system. Sorry, Jaguar has yet to make the jump to smartphone compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Options include a 16-speaker Meridian audio system, a Wi-Fi hotspot and an upgraded navigation system with a 10.2-inch color display.

On the Road With an XF Sportbrake

Under the hood of the 2018 XF Sportbrake is a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine with 380 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. These numbers are familiar to the Jaguar faithful as they represent the enhanced horsepower figure for all “S” models along with the torque generated. The standard Jaguar models make 340 horsepower, but through engineering tweaking, 40 additional horses are brought to the gate. Jaguar marries this engine to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

With Jaguar electing to go with the enhanced engine and all-wheel drive, they are serving notice that this is a performance model. And that is something you realize the moment you start the engine, press on the gas pedal and head down the road.

The exhaust system chimes in with a low hum, which is especially under full throttle. As for the all-wheel-drive system, it is rear-biased, therefore you enjoy the handling attributes that go with it. Steering is evenly weighted and the ride feels quite comfortable.

Find your favorite twisty road and hang along the edge and you may forget you are driving a wagon. The self-leveling rear suspension helps, keeping the XF Sportbrake planted and focused. Although I have not driven either Jaguar SUV yet, I imagine that the body roll is noticeable with the crossovers, while it is absent with the XF. Credit the wagon’s 4.1-inch ground clearance for helping here.

Move into the straightaways and you will soon see how fast this wagon moves. The ZF-supplied automatic transmission feels entirely comfortable, as it delivers the right cog for the moment. Grab your spouse and the kiddies, set the car seats in place and give everyone a driving experience that few utility vehicles can match.

Parting Thoughts: 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake

Allow me to admit my bias for a moment: I have grown weary of crossovers and I would love to see consumers head back to coupes and sedans.

Americans rightfully turned their backs on the earlier wagons, given that the designs offered in the 1970s and 1980s were terrible. But what set our teeth on edge were models such as the Chevrolet Caprice wagon of the 1990s, which has bloated sheetmetal and garish “woodgrain” trim. Game over.

Happily, manufacturers realize that style is extremely important. Wagons offer a challenging canvas, but through careful designing and attention to detail, the wow factor is possible. In the XF Sportbrake, Jaguar successfully crafted a look that is appealing. Moreover, it combines the utility of a crossover with the sportiness of a performance sedan.

The high starting price point for the XF Sportbrake limits this model to a small audience. As long as Jaguar can internally justify limited sales, this wagon should enjoy a decent run. If it gains traction, look for more competitors to join in. Who knows? Any shift away from crossovers could benefit this once forgotten and long-neglected body style.